Kennel Management Software

A passion for our canine companions has led many into professions that allow them to do what they love mostinteract with and care for dogs. What begins as a hobby with your own dogs can turn into a worthwhile and rewarding career working with other people's charges. But when one dog in your care grows to several, it can become challenging to keep all of their information organized. At the cornerstone of every successful animal-related endeavor is the ability to efficiently maintain current records of the dogs in your care.

With all the information you compile on your clients and their dogs, how can it all be organized so that you can quickly and easily access the information you need? Several software programs designed for dog enthusiasts and professionals are now available, making recordkeeping easy while still leaving time to tend to your dogs.

Using Software to Keep Records
Trainers, groomers, breeders, and kennel owners need an efficient and accurate method to keep records of the dogs in their care, leading enterprising programmers to create several customized software packages. You chose your line of work because of your love of dogs, not your love of filing and paperwork. Using a kennel management program to store your records saves valuable time, thereby increasing the time you spend on your actual passionthe dogs themselves.

The functions you'll require of your kennel management program will vary depending on your profession and the records you need to keep. Regardless of your field, you need software that can store your dogs' information, such as name, breed, color, sex, size, vaccination dates, medical history, physical condition, diet, and temperament. Also useful is an address book component for clients' contact information, including name, address, phone number, veterinarian, emergency contact, and their referral source. Many software programs now include a point-of-sale system as well, allowing you to track your inventory, expenses, and overall financial performance.

Beyond these basics, today's software packages can be customized to a specific line of work. Trainers need a program that includes the ability to track appointments, as well as make notes about a dog's temperament, exercises worked on in a lesson, and homework assignments. Groomers need the ability to track appointments and make notes about a dog's temperament, as well as to include specific information about the services to be performed. Breeders need to keep records of the sire and dam involved in each breeding, including lineage, health history, show records, titles and certifications. Also important is monitoring and recording the health of litters, including date of birth, shots, weight and growth progress, eating habits, and temperament. Operators of boarding kennels need to be able to keep information for each dog's stay, including reservation dates, feeding schedule, medications, any extra activities that will be performed like playtimes, and intra-staff communications throughout the dog's stay. In addition, tracking the history of reservations and services will help to prepare for fluctuations in occupancy. All of this can be accommodated, and more.

Page 1 | 2 | 3